The present invention relates to a suspension arrangement for exhaust installations under the vehicle bottom of motor vehicles by means of elastic suspension parts.
Conventional exhaust installations are, as may be seen from German Patent Document 28 03 270 Al, fastened to the vehicle bottom by means of elastic suspension parts. The selection of the suspension points must then take account of ease of assembly so that the optimum suspension points above the center of gravity of, in particular, relatively large-area, flat designs of mufflers are usually excluded because of inaccessibility. The suspension on the exhaust pipe or on the edge regions of the mufflers, imposed by this difficulty and remote from the center of gravity, leads however to increased mechanical loads on the exhaust installation, which demands complicated measures to increase stability or additional suspension arrangements, particularly at the critical transition locations where the exhaust pipe is welded into the muffler.
In addition, increased vibrational motions of the exhaust installation occur because the muffler suspension is remote from the center of gravity. These in turn increase the mechanical loads and impose increased distances from the adjacent components.
Elastic suspension parts suitable for the suspension of exhaust installations are known, from German Patent Document 26 58 358 Al, which shows, for example, an advantageous construction with steel inserts.
In addition, a muffler is known from German Patent Document 39 16 872 Cl, this muffler being penetrated by through openings for fastening screws used to hold the muffler on the engine. The suspension on the engine achieved by means of this arrangement, however, concerns a muffler for engines for small units and is not suitable for an elastic suspension of an exhaust installation under the bottom of motor vehicles.
An object of the invention is to provide a space-saving muffler suspension close to the vehicle bottom which is, however, easy to assemble.
This and other objects are achieved by embodiments of the present invention which provide a suspension arrangement for exhaust installations under a vehicle bottom of a motor vehicle and comprises at least on elastic suspension part and at least one muffler. The muffler has wall parts and a hollow profile component part passing through the wall parts substantially at right angles to the vehicle bottom. The hollow profile component is open at the ends and is solidly connected to the wall parts. The hollow profile component passes through the muffler at the center of gravity of the muffler and is positively connected with the elastic suspension part. The elastic suspension part is fastened to the vehicle bottom and has a longitudinal extension mainly located in an internal space of the hollow profile component.
Because of the easily assembled and elastic suspension of an exhaust installation of a motor vehicle, according to the present invention, and particularly a suspension arrangement close to the vehicle bottom at the center of gravity of relatively large-area, flat designs of mufflers, the mechanical load on the exhaust installation can be substantially reduced while retaining a minimum number of suspension points. In consequence, otherwise necessary measures to increase strength become unnecessary and the number of otherwise necessary suspension points can be minimized.
Because of the smaller vibrational motion of the exhaust installation achieved on account of the suspension arrangement according to the invention, the distance necessary from adjacent components can also be minimized so that, in effect, a smaller installation space is necessary or, alternatively, the mufflers can have larger dimensions.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.